Surface treating pigments with hydrous metal oxides



United States Patent 3,418,147 SURFACE TREATING PIGMENTS WITH I HYDROUS METAL OXIDES David Palmer Fields, Wilmington, Del., assignor to E. I.

du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.,

a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed June 27, 1966, Ser. No. 560,839

8 Claims. (Cl. 106-308) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Coating a Ti0 pigment in aqueous slurry with the white oxide of a metal by introducing into the slurry a salt of a metal, which salt has a volatile anion, and thereafter heating to volatilize both water and anion.

This invention relates to Ti0 pigment manufacture and more particularly to novel procedures for surface treating TiO pigments to coat them with a hydrous metal oxide to enhance and improve the pigmentary characteristics of such pigments.

In accordance with the invention, a TiO pigment, especially an Al O -containing Ti0 pigments from the cooxidation of TiCl, and AlCl is surface coated with from about 1-15%, and preferably from 210%, by weight, calculated as the anhydrous oxide based on the TiO of a white beueficiating hydrous metal oxide or mixture. This is accomplished by thoroughly mixing, with a slurry of the pigment, a soluble salt of the desired oxide forming metal with a volatile anion. This salt is thereafter decomposed by hydrolysis, preferably assisted by adjustment of the pH of the slurry with a volatile base such as ammonia or amines, and heat to vaporize the volatile components, and water.

The wet surface treatment of pigmentary TiO with hydrous metal oxides in an aqueous slurry suspension of the pigment is well known, In this treatment, a water soluble metal salt, such as a sulfate, is reacted in such slurry with an alkali metal hydroxide or carbonate to precipitate the desired amount of hydrous metal oxide onto the suspended pigment. Because soluble alkali metal sulfates or like by-product salts evolved in this treatment exert an adverse effect on pigment durability and other essential qualities, a costly time-consumming washing, filtering and dewatering operation must be undertaken to effect their removal from the pigment prior to use. Thereafter, the pigment is dried at less than 300 C. and then is ground to desired fineness and particle size.

In describing the invention reference will be made to its application to the treatment of an Al O -containing .white pigment such as obtained from the cooxidation of TiCl, and controlled, small amounts of A101 or molten aluminum metal, with an oxidizing gas, such as air or oxygen, in accordance with, for example, the disclosures of US. Patent 2,559,638 or 2,689,781. In such procedures, the oxidation is carried out in a closed reactor at elevated temperatures ranging from about 800-1400 C. and preferably at from 900-1300 C. The resulting products comprise a soft-textured TiO pigment of desired small particle size, that is, the products have an average particle size diameter which ranges from .05 to .5 micron and preferably ranges from .1 to .25 micron. The A1 0 content of the pigment usually ranges from about .1 to and is preferably from 0.5 to 3.5% by weight, based on the TiO In accordance with this invention, the raw pigment issuing from the oxidation reactor, is charged directly into an associated water-containing corrosion resistant or other desired conventional type precipitation tank where- Patented Dec. 24, 1968 in it is quickly quenched to form a slurry suspension containing between about 100 and 2000 grams per liter of TiO (979% TiO by weight) of dispersed pigment. Preferably, a highly concentrated slurry is formed with the Ti0 concentration ranging from about 1500-1700 grams per liter. Relatively concentrated suspensions provide thicker paste formulations which afford an easier handling of the neutralized pigment slurry in the rotary kiln to which, preferably, it is directly charged for drying and by-product salt volatilization. The raw pigment issuing from the reactor will usually contain suflicient absorbed HCl and chlorine to form an acidic type slurry having a pH of from 2-6 and preferably of from 3-5. However, should the slurry not be acidic, it can be readily adjusted to that state by incorporating therein a sufiicient concentration of mineral or other acid, e.g. HCl, H SO HNO H PO etc.

With the slurry at the desired TiO concentration and acidity and the pigment in the dispersed state, addition to and intimate mixing of said slurry with a sufficient concentration of a water soluble salt of an oxide-forming element is undertaken. Salts of White oxide-forming elements useful herein include those of Ti, Al, Si, Zn, Sb, Mg, Zr, Be, Cd, Ce, and Pb, etc., or mixtures of such salts, which are capable of hydrolyzing in alkaline solution to precipitate the desired insoluble white hydrous oxide or mixtures of such oxides onto the suspended pigment. Alternatively, intimate admixture and incorporation of the treating salt With the slurry can be effected by charging the slurry to an associated, agitated mixing vessel containing a solution of the desired treating salt or mixture. Preferably, the chlorides of the elements mentioned, such of AlCl TiCl.,, SiCl etc. are employed in the process, but use is contemplated of other inorganic halide salts of said elements and of their soluble sulfates and nitrates, as well as their organic acid salts, e.g. acetates, propio nates, oxalates, etc. which form desired ammonium or amine neutralization products, e.g. ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium acetate, ammonium oxalate, etc. and volatilize or decompose and sublime for removal from the slurry and oxidetreated pigment upon directly heating, drying or calcining the slurry and its hydrous oxide-coated pigment without an intermediate slurry filtering and pigment washing treatment.

Upon suitable incorporation in and thorough admixture of the treating salt solution with the pigment slurry and while said slurry is at temperatures ranging from about 30 C. to C. with its TiO content preferably well dispersed, precipitation of the hydrous oxide treating agent onto the pigmentary TiO particles is undertaken. This can be accomplished by incorporating in the slurry a suflicient amount of ammonia or a basic ammonium compound, such as ammonium hydroxide, hydroxyl amine, etc., to neutralize the slurry to a pH of about 78.5. Thereafter the combination drying and neutralizing salt-removal step contemplated in this invention is performed by charging the neutralized slurry to conventional type furnacing means wherein heating of the slurry and oxide coated T iO pigment is undertaken to temperatures ranging from 200 to 850 C. to effect removal of volatilized or decomposed or sublimed ammonium or amine reaction products formed in the neutralization. Such drying and salt-removal operation can be carried out in a brick-lined kiln or rotary type furnace. In the case of a rotary kiln operation, water and volatile salts can be emitted from one end of the kiln while dry oxidecoated pigment can be discharged from the other end. Steam presence in the kiln atmosphere advantageously aids in sweeping the volatiles out of the pigment. The calcining procedure is not critical, it being necessary only 3 4 to raise the pigment temperature to volatilize substanthrough the mill effected by means of steam at 100 lbs./ tially all the water and the by-product salts. The pigment sq. in. with 100 F. of superheat. The finished pigments must reach a temperature at least very near the subexhibited excellent pigment characteristics and had proplimation temperature of the by-product salt involved. erties equivalent to or improved over those derived from These minimum temperatures lie in the range of from 5 the treatments of U.S. 2,387,534; 2,357,089 and 200 C. to 450 C. To dehydrate the coating oxide and 2,284,772.

to speed the operation preferred kiln discharge temper- EXAMPLE H atures are in the 350 C.850 C. range.

In instances where temperatures of a calcining order Using calcined pigmentary T produced by a sulfate are applied to the pigment particles, agglomeration due to 10 process following the procedures of U.S. Reissue Patent sintering may take place. The finished pigment should be ,35 a group of the T10 pigment compositions listed as free as possible of multi-particle clusters in order to r this example in Table I below were prepared. In such provide the desired end result in surface coating applicapr pfiratlon an aqueous, ac1d1c slurry of the T10 1n the tiong, Consequently the dried or calcined pigment can be concentranons Set forth in said table, was admixed with subjected to a conventional grinding treatment prior to the varlells treating agents listed in the table and the use, particularly in preferred applications of the pigment. slurry mixt re was calclned at 450 C. over a period of Useful grinding procedures for this purpose include sand 6 hours 111 t rotary K1111 in the Presence of ammonia and grinding in a disk mill or fluid energy grinding in a misteam flowing countercurrent to the passage of the pigcronizer a Steam powered j t ill, ment slurry through thekiln. Oxide-coated products ex- To a clearer understanding of the invention the fol- 20 hibiting improved stability and resistance towards lowing examples are given. These are merely illustrative Weathering and discoloration were obtained.

TABLE I Added oxide in finished Treating agents, cone. as oxide pigment Slurry Example Z1102 concentration Pgr cgnt 'IiO: Si02 A1 13 'liOli TiOGlz S101 ZnClz (T102? *Gms/l. of and not to be construed as limiting the underlying Although the invention has been described as applied principles and scope of the invention. to particular, specific embodiments it obviously is not EXAMPLE I limited thereto. Thus while particularly applicable to r-utile Ti0 recovered from the oxidation of TiCl or the Employlflg a t' 2 z 3 P g P P t 40 co-oxidation of TiCl in the presence of small amounts of Pursuant to the dlselosul'e 0f 2,639,731 y Teactlng AlCl it is equally applicable to the treatment of other Ticls Small amounts of Alcla With all OXidiZing gas in forms of TiO including anatase as well as to extended an O id H Chamber at temperatures ranging from forms of that pigment containing such extenders as BaSO 1400 C, the Series of Oxide coated P g Compositions C'aSO or various silicates. In incorporating the treating ShOWIl n Table I r this eXaIIIPIe Were obtatlled- 111 Such salt with the pigment it is preferred to mix the latter with PYePaIatiOB the raw p g on discharge from the Oxidaa solution of a metal salt such as AlC1 and then add the tion reactor was fed into associated slurry tanks to form t l t d t li i b t thi i t r til r q Slurry Suspensions having the z eeneentl'acipitation of the oxide is complete. Alternatively, admixtions set forth in said t ble a d acidic P Values yture of the acidic slurry containing pigment and treating ing from The acidic pigment slurry suspensions thus agent with the base can be effected after it is placed in the formed were separately pumped into an associated pipe kil F example, an idi slurry containing TiO .A1C] line yp of miXtIlg Chamber wherein intimate association can be suitably mixed and then placed in a kiln and calof each slurry with an aqueous solution of chloride treat- 7 cined under an ammonia atmosphere. Metal salts which ing Salt of salts as Shown in the table Was brought about hydrolyze readily like those of titanium, zirconium, alumi- As each reagent-pigment slurry at a temperature of about num, silicon, antimony, for example, can be readily han- C. passed through the mixing line, a stolchlometrlc dled by calcination. TiO slurries which have been treated q y of queous ammonia was caused to be metered with, for example, AlCl can be placed directly into the into said line as a neutralizing agent for purposes of adkiln wherein HCl will boil oif with the water.

justing the pH of the slurry mixture to a value of from In effecting admixture of the pigment and treating salt 8 to 8.5 and effect precipitation on and coating of the 60 use can be made of conventional type mix tanks, pipe suspended pigment with the amounts of hydrous oxide on line mixers, jet mixing, etc., as long as the pigment paran hydrous basis which are specified for each pigment in ticles under treatment remain dispersed in intimate con- Table I. Thereafter each neutralized slurry, in the form tact with the treating reagents. In effecting drying-calciof a relatively thick, viscous paste, was fed directly and nation of the oxide treated pigment recourse can be had to without being subjected to filtering and washing treatment, tray dryers, rotary kilns, spray driers and other suitable into an associated rotary kiln furnacing means and heated means for removing sublimable or vaporizable by-prodtherein at about 600 C. for about 5 hours with such heatucts present in the pigment other than by expensive washing being accomplished by means of a combination of ing or filtration treatments.

fuel combustion and introduction of superheated steam. Iclaim:

Ammonium salts formed during neutralization and volatil- 1. In a process for surface coating a white inorganic ized during slurry heating were continuously withdrawn pigmentary material with a beneficiating white oxide of from the kiln for collection and recovery in an associated a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Be, Ce, water scrubber. The dried, calcined oxide-treated pig- Cd, Mg, Pb, Sb, Si, Ti, Zn and Zr, the improvement ments were ground in a conventional fluid energy mill which comprises mixing with an aqueous slurry of said operated at 1500 lbs./hr. throughput, with TiO passage pigmentary material a salt of at least one of said metals having a volatile anion, decomposing said salt thereby 5. The process of claim 4 in which the said salt is a coating the pigmentary particles with hydrous oxide dechloride. rived from said salt, and removing Water and volatilizing 6. The process of claim 3 wherein the said pigmentary said anion by heating said slurry in the range of from material is a TiO pigment containing from about 0.1% 200 to 850 C. 5 to about 10%, by Weight based on TiO of A1 0 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the freshly mixed 7. The process of claim 6 wherein the said base is said aqueous slurry containing salt is acid and the said NH OH. oxide is formed from the said salt by adding a volatile 8. The process of claim 6 wherein the said base is base to the said slurry of said pigmentary material and NH said salt to raise the pH of said slurry to from about 7 10 References Cited to about 8.5.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein sufficient of said salt FOREIGN T P is mixed into said slurry to provide a surface coating of 969,352 9/ 1964 Great Brltamsaid white oxide of from about 1% to about 15% by weight based on the said pigmentary material. 15 JAMES POER Pnmary Exammer' 4. The process of claim 3 wherein the said slurry of U S C1 X R the said pigmentary material contains from about 100 106-300, 309 grams to about 2,000 grams per liter of TiO Disclaimer 3,418,147.-David Palmer Fields, \Vilmington, Del. SURFACE TREATING PIGMEN TS WITH HYDROUS METAL OXIDES. Patent dated Dec. 24, 1968. Disclaimer filed Sept. 3, 1971, by the assignee, E. 1. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 8 of said patent.

[Ofiicial Gazette January 25, 1972.] 

